Lemon Pound Cake

I searched the internet for a lemon pound cake recipe other than the two (martha stewart and ina garten) I have made before which are very good, but i wanted something different. I noticed this recipe because of the sour cream. My favorite chocolate cake has sour cream so i thought i would give this lemon a try. It was very good.

Lemon Pound Cake

1 cup butter, softened

3 cups sugar

6 eggs

5 TBSP lemon juice, fresh

1 TBSP grated lemon peel

1 tsp lemon extract

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups sour cream

Icing:

1/4 cup sour cream

1 TBSP butter, softened

1 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

3 TBSP lemon juice

2 tsp grated lemon peel

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in lemon juice, peel and extract. Combine flour, soda, and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Beat just until combined.

Pour into greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan and wire rack to cool completely.

For icing, in a small bowl, beat sour cream and butter until blended. Gradually add confectioners' sugar. Beat in lemon juice and peel. Drizzle over cake. Store in fridge.

source: Allrecipes.com

Back To School Snack Mix

This year my son is heading to First Grade. Lunch time for them is very early so they have snack in the afternoon. While looking through my Parenting magazine, I came across the recipe for this snack mix and decided to give it a try. I like the fact it had peanut butter for some protein.

Back to School Snack Mix

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

3 cups Honey Nut Chex cereal

1 cup plain Cheerios

1 cup peanuts

1 cup pretzels

1 cup M&Ms

Heat oven to 350. Combine butter, peanut butter, cinnamon and vanilla and microwave for 35 to 40 seconds and stir until smooth.

Mix cereals, peanuts, and pretzels in large bowl. Pour butter mixture over and toss well to coat.

Pour into line baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, stirring halfway. Let cool and toss in M&Ms.

Store in containers.

Source: Jif Peanut Butter Ad in Parenting Magazine

Oat Bars

When I was pregnant with my son, I was addicted to these. I kept telling myself they are healthy, they have All Bran in them. Well they also have a ton of butter and sugar, not to mention peanut butter and chocolate chips. Give them a try.

Oat Bars

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 c. brown sugar

1 cup peanut butter

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup All Bran

3 1/2 cups Quick Cook Oats

1 cup peanuts

12 oz chocolate chips

Beat eggs, add sugars and peanut butter & butter and mix until well blended. Mix in baking soda and vanilla. Add All Bran and Oats and mix until combined. Add peanuts and chocolate chips. Pour in pan ( i use metal 15/9) and bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. Middle will still be slightly jiggly.

Let them cool completely before cutting.

Source: my mother in law : Eleanor

Creamy Taco Mac

I stumbled upon this at another food blog. It looked easy so I thought I would give it a try. We have had so much chicken lately, we needed a little beef. Very yummy!

Creamy Taco Mac

1.25 lb. ground beef

8 oz pasta + 1 cup reserved pasta water

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

3 TBSP mild taco seasoning

3 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

Cook pasta according to package directions, reserving 1 cup water.

Brown beef ( i used very lean so i did not drain) add taco seasoning and tomatoes. Simmer 5 minutes. Add pasta, cream cheese, and sour cream. Stir and simmer. Add pasta water if needed to thin sauce.

Source: Delish

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

For Playgroup on Izzy's birthday i decided to serve a special treat, homemade ice cream sandwiches. I have made them several times since upon my children's request. I made it easy by using Williams-Sonoma's Vanilla Ice Cream Starter. We made the vanilla ice cream according to package directions and then 5 minutes before hard freezing we added mini chocolate chips. It was very tasty. The chocolate chip cookies were just the right size and texture for the ice cream sandwiches.

Chocolate Chip Cookies.... a family recipe

1 cup crisco

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

6 oz chocolate chips

Cream crisco and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Whisk together flour, salt, and soda. Add and mix until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Using a small scoop, drop on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 8-11 minutes.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Yummy!

These have been on several food blogs lately and i had to try them... Be sure to let them cool completely before cutting....

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

6 TBSP unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease an 8x8 pan. * i doubled the recipe and used a 13x9 pan.

Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside. In bowl of mixer, cream butter and peanut butter on medium until smooth. Beat in sugars until mixture is lightened in color and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition and then add vanilla. Reduce mixer to low speed and slowly add in the flour mixture. Add the chocolate chips, stirring until combined.

Spread the batter into the pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. If you doubled you might need extra baking time.

Chocolate Layer Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Mark's Birthday Cake

For Mark's birthday he requested a chocolate cake with buttercream frosting. I immediately went to my Southern Living Books and found one in their special publications: Our Best Desserts. It did not disappoint. Be sure to have a gallon 0f milk standing by.

Chocolate Layer Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 (16 oz) package light brown sugar

3 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 (8oz) sour cream

1 cup hot water

2 tsp vanilla extract

Garnish: chocolate shavings and curls

1. Preheat oven to 350. Melt chocolate chips in microwave at high 1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring every 30 seconds.

2. Beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed with electric mixer until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.

3. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Gradually add 1 cup hot water in a slow, steady stream, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla.

4. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round, 2 inch deep cake pans.

5. Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool 1 hour.

6. Spread Vanilla Buttercream Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish if desired.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter, softened

1 32oz package powdered sugar

2/3 cup milk

1 TBSP vanilla

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add powdered sugar alternately with milk, beating at low speed until blended after each addition Stir in vanilla.